ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · spell · stick · mouse · board · shower · squash · march

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — magic
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — to crush
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. board — a committee
  10. shower — rain
  11. squash — the sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. spell — letters
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com